The present invention relates generally to weights for use in connection with fishing lures, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to improved methods and apparatus for altering the weight, buoyant properties, movement or action through the water and configuration of fishing lures.
Fish are known to respond differently to the presentation of a lure with changes in water temperature, season of the year, water clarity, and numerous other variations in the local environment, and will sometimes respond to a lure only when it remains in its immediate proximity for an extended period of time.
Therefore, the fishing industry has, for years, experimented with ways to alter or change the normal action of a fishing lure as it is retrieved through a body of water. Typically, after a buoyant lure is cast into the water, it will initially float to and rest on the surface of the water. When the lure is retrieved, it will dive to various depths depending upon the lure configuration, and will swim or track directly toward the fisherman. When the fishermen pauses, the lure will ascend and return to the surface. It is desirable, at times, to vary that normal action of the fishing lure.
For instance, a fisherman may want a lure to track to the left or right as it is being retrieved. Further, in certain conditions and at certain times, it is desirable to slow the normal rate at which the lure ascends to the surface. It is desirable in some conditions to alter a lure so that it will suspend at a desired depth when the fisherman pauses during retrieval, or to cause a lure which normally rises to the surface of the water to descend when the lure is at rest in the water. In other words, fishermen very often wish to alter the normal rate of vertical displacement of the lure.
There are methods for modifying lures and for altering the lures so that such lures will suspend. However, as described below, each method is imprecise, difficult to duplicate and is time consuming and difficult to perform at the fishing site.
One method for altering the vertical rate displacement of a fishing lure or to attempt to suspend the fishing lure comprises drilling a hole in the lure and filling the lure with mercury, rattles, water, BB's, lead shot or other weights. The hole is then sealed. Once the operation is complete, if a readjustment is desired, a hole must again be drilled into the lure so that weights can be removed or added. Such a method is time consuming, imprecise and difficult, if not impossible, to achieve at the fishing site.
Other prior art lures have a predrilled hole and a removable plug which allows for the addition of water or other material. Again, such a method is imprecise and is difficult to duplicate. Even if the amount of water added to the lure is known, it is impossible to duplicate on other lures unless each of the other lures also have predrilled holes and plugs.
Other methods for altering lures include inserting lead rods or wire in a lure, or wrapping lead wire or solder around the shank of a hook which is attached to the lure. The weight of such lures can be altered by cutting or shaving the metal away from the lure. Obviously in the case of inserted lead rods, weight can only be adjusted down. Further, it is difficult to determine the amount of weight removed so that once the desired buoyancy is achieved it can be duplicated with other lures.
Finally, it is known that sticking adhesive-backed metal tape to a lure will increase the weight of the lure. However, such a method suffers from the same deficiency as other methods. To achieve the desired action, one must add and/or remove approximate odd shaped lengths of tape. Even though one may ultimately achieve the desired result or action, it is extremely difficult to duplicate with other lures. Further, such a process will result in a lure that is no longer aesthetically pleasing.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for duplicably modifying fishing lures to vary the normal action thereof. It is another object to provide a method for modifying a lure that is easy to perform and that can be performed in a short period of time at the fishing site. It is another object of this invention to provide a method for modifying or altering a fishing lure that results in an aesthetically pleasing lure.